My head throbbed like shit.
Batshit crazy.
Fuck—
I could feel something pulsing in my skull as I tried opening my eyes.
My limbs felt real heavy, and my throat was as dry as it could be.
The faint memory of the book—the glowing lingered in my mind, hazy and incomplete.
"NOAH!"
The sound of my name, sharp and panicked, pulled me further out of my brain.
I groaned as I felt my shoulders being jerked up and down with a surprising force.
My eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the frantic face of my Grandma, Sylvie, looming over me.
"What the hell...?" I muttered weakly, my voice rough.
"Oh, thank the gods," she breathed out, though her relief was short-lived.
She shook me again, none too gently. "Wake up properly, you stubborn boy! What happened? Did you feel it?"
I blinked, trying to focus on her words, but they felt like a distant echo in my ears.
My memories of the last few moments—or hours—were a mess.
The book, the blood, the overwhelming glow… it all mixed into my brain like a chocolate smoothie.
"Quit shaking your head like that and answer me!" Ma snapped, her tone sharp but laced with worry.
She was still in the floral frock she'd worn to the market earlier, though it was slightly crumpled now.
Her face, however, was a different story—eyes wide with panic, lips pressed into a thin line, and brows furrowed like a storm cloud.
"Ma, stop!" I managed to rasp out, patting weakly at her hands as she gave me one last, firm shake.
My body jolted up, and the haze in my mind began to clear.
"Thank goodness," she muttered, taking a step back.
"Now, tell me. Did you feel anything strange? Anything at all?"
Her question sent a shot of adrenaline through me, and my eyes darted to the table where it had been placed.
The book.
The Book of Sin.
It was gone.
Where the hell did it go? I screamed internally as my stomach dropped.
I tried to make the straightest face possible as I faced her, trying to mask the panic that threatened to spill over.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," I said carefully, avoiding her gaze as I rubbed the back of my neck.
Sylvie's sharp eyes bore into me, clearly not buying my half-assed attempt at nonchalance.
"Don't you dare lie to me, boy," she said, her voice low and dangerous.
But after a long, tense moment, she let out another sigh, and the heavy aura surrounding her seemed to fade.
She turned and walked over to my bed, picking up the half-empty bottle of water beside my bed.
Without hesitation, she uncapped it and took a long swig.
The sight was so absurd that, for a moment, I forgot about the missing book.
"What the—Ma, that's my water!" I said, exasperated.
"Do you see me caring?" she shot back, wiping her mouth with the back of the hand.
Her gaze flicked back to me, narrowing as she noticed my wandering eyes scanning the room. "What are you looking for?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, too quickly. My mind raced as I tried to think of where the book had disappeared.
Did it vanish?
Was it stolen?
Or… did it do something even worse?
Sylvie Grandma's skeptical look deepened. She crossed her arms and leaned against the backrest of the bed, watching me like a hawk.
"Out with it, boy. It's not like you've gotten some girl pregnant or something, is it?" she said, her tone half-joking.
I froze, my brain short-circuiting at her words. "What? No!" I sputtered, my face heating up.
Sylvie raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You're awfully defensive for someone who hasn't done anything."
"Ma, seriously!" I groaned, running a hand through my hair.
Her expression shifted slightly, a flicker of genuine concern crossing her features. "Wait… don't tell me you actually—"
"No!" I cut her off, my voice louder than I intended. "Gods, Ma, no. Just stop!"
She let out a huff, though her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Well, good. Because I'm too young to be a great-grandma, and I'm definitely not babysitting."
I buried my face in my hands, wishing for the ground to swallow me whole.
"Can we not talk about this?" I muttered.
Sylvie's sharp laugh rang out, but the tension still lingered.
I did not know what had exactly happened, but seeing her reaction, it must have been big.
Unfortunately, that thought did nothing but stress me more.
The book was behind this.
I was sure of it-
I could feel the weight of her gaze as I resumed my subtle search of the room, my mind racing with curses.
'Where the hell is that damn book?' I thought, my frustration increasing.
Weirdly, Grandma's patience ran thinner than mine as she rolled her eyes and straightened up.
"Out with it, Noah. Whatever's got you acting like a guilty little squirrel, spill it. Now."
I hesitated, debating whether to tell her the truth.
But before I could make up my mind, she added, "It's not like you can keep secrets from me, anyway.
I've known you since you were in diapers, remember?"
I let out a long sigh, realizing that I couldn't dodge her questions forever.
Slowly, I lifted my head and met her gaze.
"Have you seen that book?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. "The one Mom and Dad left for me?"
Ma's eyes widened slightly at the sudden question. "The book? No… why? Is something the matter?"
Her genuine confusion only made my chest tighten as I swallowed hard, debating my next words.
Then, deciding to rip the bandage off, I looked her straight in the eye and confessed,
"I found the cure to my empty physique."
***
A/N: Heyoo ppl, this is the daily chapter upload.